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Field of degree: Philosophy and religion

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Philosophy and religion field of degree. Employment: 537,520. Median annual wage: $60,000.

Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2022.

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Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2022
Data	Philosophy and religion	All fields
Employment	537,520	62,187,580
Median wage	60,000	66,000
Percent employed part time	16	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	65	62
Percent with an advanced degree	58	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion major, 2022.

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Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion, 2022
Philosophy and religion major	Major share
Philosophy And Religious Studies	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2022.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2022
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	15%
Educational instruction and library occupations	14
Community and social service occupations	11
Legal occupations	11
Business and financial operations occupations	8
Other	41
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2023–33	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2022	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2022
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	19%	Doctoral or professional degree	6%	72%
Software developers	18	Bachelor's degree	2	32
Management analysts	11	Bachelor's degree	1	35
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Chief executives	5	Bachelor's degree	2	31
Lawyers	5	Doctoral or professional degree	9	92
Physicians, all other	4	Doctoral or professional degree	2	100
Clergy	3	Bachelor's degree	8	50
Elementary school teachers, except special education	-1	Bachelor's degree	3	49
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	-1	Bachelor's degree	2	56
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Philosophy and religion,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/philosophy-and-religion/philosophy-and-religion-field-of-degree.htm (visited March 24, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024